THE CITY REBORN FROM THE ASHES OF AMERICA'S MOST DISASTROUS FOREST FIRE

Wolverines Hold Off Rebels Comeback

Issue Date: October 25, 2017

The Crivitz Wolverines traveled to Suring to meet their WIAA post season opponents the Laona/Wabeno Rebels who they defeated 19-6.

Earlier this season the Rebels handed the Wolverines a heartbreaking 20-14 loss, but this time it was all about payback for the Wolverines and they certainly got it, sending the Rebels packing for the 2017 post season.

Crivitz was first on the board in this one as Travis Kudick capped off a long drive with a scramble to the corner of the endzone, which he made without the defense touching him. Hunter Wittmus booted the extra point giving the Wolverines a 7-0 lead.

Crivitz improved that readout a short while later in the first quarter when Kudick found an open Charlie Johnsen in the end zone for six.

After a scoreless second and a bit of a defensive battle over the opening, in the second half both teams found openings.

Crivitz was first with a Kudick to Dawson Andrist pass for the six-yard teedee pass.

The Rebels responded with a Tristian Immel 44-yard touchdown run.

Last time these two teams met, Immel was a thorn in the Wolverine defensive unit's side and Friday night was no different as the tough and scrappy Wolverine unit had its hands full containing the speedy Rebel who cruised to 103 yards on 12 carries. An improvement over the last contest where he was held to 56 yards.

For the Wolverines, the day was all about variety. Through the air, Kudick amassed 124 yards and two teedees on a 12 of 25 effort. On the ground, it was Andrist who carried the bulk of the load with 62 yards on seven carries.

Defensively the Wolverines came away with two interceptions over the course of the game, one by Ryan Solway and another by Tony Jopek, helping to push the Wolverines to that important lead. That pressure seemed to be the difference as the Wolverines held the Rebel passing game to 45 yards. An improvement from earlier this season where the Rebels' Christiansen piled up 85 yards and two teedees.

Northern Elite No Match for Marathon

In Division 6's level one of the WIAA playoffs, the Northern Elite Predators traveled to Marathon to take on the Red Raiders. Marathon came out with all cylinders firing as they put up an unanswered 31 points in the first quarter, and cruised to a 50-7 victory.

Donovan Free notched three touchdowns in the first quarter for Marathon. Free ran in an 11-yard TD himself, then passed to Richie Suebert for 34 yards and to Nathan Stoffel for 71 yards. Suebert also ran in another 4-yard TD run, helping to push the lead to 31-0 at the end of the first.

In the second quarter, Free and Stoffel connected on two more touchdowns, one for 74 yards and another for 11 yards that extended the lead to 44-0 at halftime.

Both teams scored once each in the second half. First, Marathon's Free broke off a 19-yard run in the third quarter for a 50-0 lead. Northern Elite avoided a shut-out when Zachariah Prideaux scored on a 1-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.

Oconto Ousted in First Round of D5 Playoffs

The Oconto Blue Devils earned a six-seed for the Division 5 WIAA playoffs, and were tasked with traveling to Spencer/Columbus to take on the third-seeded Cardinals. It was the ground game of the Cardinals that ran the Blue Devils into submission, for a 49-17 victory.

Hunter Luepke started his monster day for the Cardinals by recording the only score of the first quarter on a 5-yard touchdown run. Luepke broke free in the second quarter for a 50-yard touchdown and a 14-0 Cardinal lead. Oconto looked to its defense to get them on the board by way of a safety, cutting the lead to 14-2. Spencer/Columbus answered with a 24-yard touchdown pass to Luepke, extending the lead once again to 21-2, the score at the halftime break.

Oconto's Isaac Woller found daylight and raced 92 yards for a kickoff return, putting the score at 21-9 early in the third quarter. They say when something's not broke, don't fix it, and the Cardinals didn't. Luepke added two more scores in the third quarter on 5 and 11-yard runs, extending their lead to 35-9 before the fourth quarter.

In the final quarter, Bryce O'Connor punched in a two-yard touchdown run for the Blue Devils. Luepke continued his 1-man end zone party with a 59-yard jaunt, before Hayden Bauman capped off the scoring with a 13-yard touchdown run.

Spencer/Columbus rushed for 406 yards and six touchdowns, including 259 yards and five touchdowns on 21 carries by Luepke. Oconto was led by Jake Krueger who finished 8 of 19 for 102 yards and Zach Sherman added 40 yards rushing on five carries.